On October 29, the Ivano-Frankivsk District Administrative Court canceled the appeal of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council “On the Protection of the Life of Unborn Children and the End of Abortions among the Ukrainian People,” finding it to be beyond the council’s authority and discriminatory. The decision was made in favor of the plaintiffs, the public organization “March of Women” and other activists.
The Ivano-Frankivsk District Administrative Court on October 29 canceled the appeal of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, in which the local government body asked the Verkhovna Rada, the President, and the Cabinet of Ministers to “stop abortions” and “protect the lives of conceived children.” The court’s decision was announced by the non-governmental organization “March of Women,” which acted as the plaintiff in the case.
The court found that such an appeal goes beyond the powers of the local council and contains discriminatory provisions, as it actually interferes with the sphere of reproductive rights and may limit access to medical services. The decision emphasized: local governments are not authorized to regulate or prohibit medical services that fall within the competence of the legislator and central government bodies.
The plaintiffs' lawyer, Yevheniya Guz, commented on the decision as follows: "This decision is a precedent. It confirms that women's rights to their own bodies and choices are protected by law." The Women's March report states that the court decision legally fixes several important provisions: local authorities cannot interfere with reproductive rights; a woman's right to control her own body is part of constitutional freedoms; political declarations and appeals cannot limit access to medical services.
The reaction of the public and experts indicates the importance of the case not only for Ivano-Frankivsk, but also as a potential precedent for other local councils adopting similar political appeals. Activists see the court's decision as a protection of basic rights and emphasize that legislative issues regarding medical regulation fall within the competence of central authorities and parliament.
The Ivano-Frankivsk City Council has not yet released detailed public comments on the court's decision. At the same time, the administrative court's decision may become an argument in future disputes surrounding similar appeals by other local governments.
